This invention relates to a machine for cutting plate-shaped workpieces and especially sandwich plates, incorporating a tool guide with a revolving power-driven cutting tool as well as a manually operated handle by means of which the tool guide with the cutting tool can be moved from an idle position into an active position. In tis idle position, the cutting tool is disengaged from the workpiece and, in its active position, it engages in the workpiece to be cut.
A machine of this type has been described in German Patent No. U-298 15 228. The prior art device is a hand-operated machine tool in which a machine base unit is provided with a guide rail along which an endless cutting chain revolves in a continuous fashion. The machine base unit is mounted in a horizontally pivotable manner on a base plate that slides on the object workpiece.
For starting a cut in the workpiece the machine base unit with the guide rail and the revolving cutting chain is tilted around its pivotal axis on the base plate. From an idle position away from the workpiece, the guide rail with the cutting chain is lowered into the workpiece. This prior art machine is used for cutting sandwich plates or panels, i.e., multilayer workpieces whose individual layers differ from one another in terms of mechanical strength. Such multilayer plates or panels typically consist of a foam core sandwiched between cover layers in the form of thin metal sheets, most commonly made of steel.
It is an object of this present invention to provide a manually movable cutting machine which is readily manipulatable.
Another object is to provide such a machine which provides good clear cutting action.